Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson apologizes for rant

Quarterback Derek Anderson apologized for his Monday night rant when he yelled at a reporter and stormed out of the interview room after the Cardinals' 27-6 loss to the visiting San Francisco 49ers.

Cameras showed Anderson laughing on the sideline with right guard Deuce Lutui when the Cardinals were trailing by 18 points in the fourth quarter. When Anderson was asked about it, he lost his cool.

Videos of his Monday-night meltdown sizzled the Internet and became a national story. He made it clear he didn't want that to happen again.

"Good morning," Anderson said as he met a bevy of media members after practice Wednesday. "Let's try this in a manner that doesn't end up all over YouTube.

"I'd like to apologize for my actions after the game. There's a more professional manner I could have handled that. I wasn't raised that way. My mom and my dad didn't raise me to act like that in times of adversity. I obviously was very frustrated by what happened during the game, and I let the emotions get the best of me."

Anderson said he put his cellphones away and did his best to get away from things during the team's day off Tuesday.

Asked how he spent his day, he jokingly replied, "It's top secret."

"I may or may not have participated with some friends in some activities away from the football facility," he said, referring to a golf outing with Cardinals kicker Jay Feely and others.

Then he poked some fun at himself and the luck he and the Cardinals have been having during their six-game losing streak.

"I actually thought about getting a Christmas tree, but decided that wasn't a good idea," Anderson said. "I'll wait until Friday for that. I didn't want it to catch fire in my house."

As for the postgame incident, he said he wants to put it behind him and focus solely on Sunday's game against the visiting St. Louis Rams.

"I'm moving forward and trying to put that in our past and focus on what we have this week, which is a big game for our team," Anderson said.

Anderson has been involved in controversy before. When he was with the Browns, he criticized Cleveland fans and was forced to do a ton of damage control afterward.

Was his postgame tirade the topper?

"I don't know. I've been through some rough times in football, but I think this was obviously one of the most frustrating times for me," he said.

" . . . It was a game I felt like, going in, we were very prepared for. We had a very good week of practice, as I said after the game, and to lay an egg like we did on national television was not only frustrating for me, but frustrating for every one of the guys that's out here every single day and sees what we're capable of doing."

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, who listened nearby as Anderson addressed the media Wednesday, reaffirmed his commitment to keeping Anderson as his starting quarterback.

"He works hard. I give that man his credit," Whisenhunt said. "He works hard, he studies hard, it's important to him."